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Fast & Fabulous: Roasted Chicken, Sage, Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Salad

Our latest Fast & Fabulous recipe was inspired by the post-Thanksgiving nirvana of leftovers! Nothing’s better than leftovers, am I right? This recipe for Roasted Chicken, Sage, Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Salad can handle just about any leftover you have on hand: chicken or turkey, sage, mushrooms, cranberry, onions and even gravy if you’re feeling particularly decadent. Bring. it. on!!! As luck would have... Read More

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Fast & Fabulous: Seared Halloumi, Caramelized Peach & Cherry Salad & a Sonoma Coast Chardonnay!

One of the things I love most about what I do is discovering the blogs of other passionate foodies and I’m happy to share a new found favorite! This delicious recipe for Seared Halloumi, Caramelized Peach & Cherry Salad is from Heather of the Flourishing Foodie. In this recipe Heather beautifully incorporates some of my favorite flavors of Summer and, in keeping with our “Fast & Fabulous” series, this dish can easily... Read More

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Fast & Fabulous: Grilled Cantaloupe with Prosciutto & Burrata!

Looking for a weeknight dinner that will satisfy your hunger yet is light enough to enjoy on a warm Summer night? This recipe for Grilled Cantaloupe with Prosciutto and Burrata definitely fits the bill! Ripe slices of sweet melon are wrapped in deliciously salty prosciutto and when they hit the grill – magic happens! Because this is a Fast &... Read More

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Fast & Fabulous: Grilled Cantaloupe with Prosciutto & Burrata!

Looking for a weeknight dinner that will satisfy your hunger yet is light enough to enjoy on a warm Summer night? This recipe for Grilled Cantaloupe with Prosciutto and Burrata definitely fits the bill! Ripe slices of sweet melon are wrapped in deliciously salty prosciutto and when they hit the grill – magic happens! Because this is a Fast & Fabulous recipe it only takes a minimum amount of time to prepare – hungry yet?

While Summer is prime time for grilling outdoors there aren’t many of us who relish the thought of waiting for food to cook over an open flame in 100 degree heat. That’s why God (or was it Williams-Sonoma?) invented the grill pan! I love mine and it certainly makes weeknight grilling a feasible prospect. The grill pan also has the advantage of being non-stick so all that glorious char wipes off easily with soap and water and only a minimum of elbow grease.

Since this recipe only calls for a few ingredients, make sure they are of good quality. For instance, when selecting your cantaloupe, make sure it is ripe and ready to go. The melon should feel heavy in your hand and when sniffed, should smell like ripe melon. For the prosciutto, Prosciutto di Parma is a wonderful choice but other types of cured meat will work too. You need to make sure the meat is cut so it can wrap around the melon slices, Serrano ham would make a nice alternative. The Burrata cheese is the pièce de résistance of this dish. Burrata, which means “buttered” in Italian, is a fresh Italian cheese made from cream and mozzarella and if you haven’t tried it yet, it is definitely worth seeking out! Nowadays it can usually be found at your local grocery store in the specialty cheese section. On the outside the cheese looks like a beautiful, glistening ball of fresh mozzarella but when you cut into it, it is filled with curds and fresh cream – sheer deliciousness! Garnish the dish with Maldon sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a good quality olive oil and you are all set.

If you’re looking for something to sip with this Fast & Fabulous dish a rosé would be heavenly! A fruity, dry rose like the Copain Tous Ensemble Rosé ($22) from California’s Anderson Valley would be a wonderful choice. In addition to its lovely notes of red berries it also has a delightfully food-friendly acidity which will further enhance your enjoyment of this Summer-inspired dish.

Cheers,

 

 

Grilled Cantaloupe with Prosciutto & Burrata
Serves four

1 large ripe cantaloupe
1/2 lb thinly sliced prosciutto
4 balls of fresh burrata cheese
Maldon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Good olive oil

Preheat an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill over med-high heat.

Slice the cantaloupe in half lengthwise and using a spoon, remove the pulp and seeds from the center of each half. Remove the rind from each half of the melon and slice it into 1/2 inch thick wedges. Wrap each slice of melon with a generous piece of prosciutto. Once the pieces are wrapped, brush the grates of the grill with olive oil and lay the slices down on the grates and cook in batches for approximately 1 minute per side or to desired doneness.

Plate the grilled melon slices with the burrata cheese. Season with Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper the drizzle generously with the olive oil and serve!

Fast & Fabulous: Braised Escarole with Seared Bay Scallops & a Loire Valley White!

Looking for something deliciously quick to make for dinner tonight? Give this recipe for Braised Escarole with Seared Bay Scallops a try! I came across this gem in the Wall Street Journal in a feature on Chef Anita Lo of New York City’s Annisa. Chef Lo is known for weaving multicultural flavors with classic French technique and draws inspiration from her extensive world travels. This recipe combines the delicious flavors of plump, sweet bay scallops with the slightly bitter flavor of escarole and lemon and a hint of red pepper flake. The result is a deliciously flavorful, yet healthy dish. Oh, and did I mention it takes under thirty minutes to make? Yay!

I started by purchasing beautiful, fresh scallops from Captain Clay’s Fish Market here in Delray Beach. When selecting scallops, be sure they are translucent and firm with no milky fluid surrounding them which can indicate they have been “soaked” and treated with chemicals. When preparing the dish, be sure to taste your escarole when it’s done to adjust the seasoning and make sure the pan you’re cooking the scallops in is very hot before adding them to give those beauties a nice, good sear. In the article, Chef Lo recommends shaving bottarga di muggine over the finished dish. Bottarga is the roe pouch of a tuna or grey mullet that’s been dried and cured in sea salt for a few weeks resulting in a dry hard slab. The final product can then be thinly sliced or grated but let me assure you, this dish is perfectly delicious without it. Also, although the recipe claims it serves four, I’m afraid it’s more like 2-3 for a main course – well for 2 very hungry people anyway!

Pair this dish with a bright, citrusy wine like the Michel Redde Sancerre ‘Les Tuilieres’ 2009. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc from France’s Loire Valley has flavors of lemon and green apple, a lovely minerality and zippy acidity that complemented the flavors of this dish beautifully. This wine is fermented entirely in stainless steel to preserve its crisp, fresh fruit flavors, making it a fabulous pairing for a variety of Spring and Summer fare. It’s like adding a squeeze of lemon and is a natural match for seafood and shellfish.

I hope you enjoy this “Fast & Fabulous” dish as much as we did and I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to make it.  Also, what source(s) do you find you go to most often for new everyday recipes (cookbook, magazines, website)? I’d love to know. Thanks for stopping by and have a delicious day!

Cheers,

 

 

Scallops
Braised Escarole with Seared Bay Scallops

Serves 4

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
4 thin rounds of lemon, cut 1/8-inch thick, each slice cut into 6 triangles
2½ tablespoons butter
2 medium heads escarole (about 1 pound 6 ounces), washed and cut into 2-inch bands
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1 pound Bay scallops, cleaned

1. Set a large casserole over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir in pepper flakes, garlic and lemon slices. Cook until lemons are limp and sizzling, about 2 minutes.

2. Stir in escarole, butter, sugar and salt. Cover the pot and lower the heat to medium. Stir occasionally and cook until wilted, about 6 minutes. Remove lid, turn the heat up to medium-high and continue to cook until the water evaporates, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

3. While the escarole finishes cooking, prepare scallops. Set a large sauté pan over high heat and season scallops on both sides with salt and pepper.

4. Swirl 2 tablespoons olive oil into the pan. Once oil is almost smoking, add scallops. If need be, cook scallops in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.

5. Cook scallops on high until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn and finish cooking the other side, about 1 additional minute.

6. Divide escarole onto four plates. Arrange scallops on top and spritz with extra lemon juice, if desired.

Fast & Fabulous: Chicken with Artichoke-Olive Sauce & Greek Wine Pairing

Chicken W/ Artichoke-Olive Sauce
While I do love my recipes for entertaining, another passion of mine is finding dishes that can be prepared in a minimum of time and don’t skimp on flavor. These are real gems indeed, and that’s what the Fast & Fabulous segment is all about.

For all you fans of Mediterranean cuisine, here is a delightful recipe that delivers all those mouth-watering flavors in thirty minutes or less.

I came across this recipe for Chicken Breasts in Artichoke-Olive Sauce from Philadelphia Chef Marcie Turney in the September issue of Food & Wine Magazine. Turney and her business partner own three restaurants, each inspired by a different country including Mexico, the Mediterranean and India. The magazine featured recipes based on each and while I do love Mexican and Indian food, my love of Mediterranean-inspired cuisine prevailed and I just had to give this dish a try.

Ingredients
One thing I love about this recipe is you can take a bit of artistic license and add more or less of whatever ingredient you prefer without any major consequences – hello, feta! Envision the aromas of freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, fresh oregano and chopped kalamata olives along with the salty tang of Feta cheese and the delicious flavor of artichoke hearts being prepared in your very own kitchen! Although my husband, Steve is not the biggest fan of olives, I have been determined to convert him. It worked with capers, after all and I think I finally might have succeeded!

Serve this dish with a crisp, racy white wine like a Greek Moschofilero (mo-sko-FEEL-ero). This is a white worth trying if you haven’t had the chance already. It’s characterized by a vibrant acidity, notes of citrus and spice with a hint of tropical fruit on the finish. Food & Wine recommends the 2010 Domaine Skouras Moschofilero but for those of you who reside in Palm Beach County, the 2010 Boutari Moschofilero Mantinia is readily available at many local wine stores.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Chicken Breasts in Artichoke-Olive Sauce as much as we did! It’s healthy, flavorful and very easy to make and I am definitely adding it to my regular rotation. I would love to hear what you think of it!

Cheers,

 

 

Chicken Breasts with Artichoke-Olive Sauce

Total: 20 minutes – 4 Servings

Yummy!

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
One 10 ounce box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
8 pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/2 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the oil, lemon juice, zest , garlic and oregano. Fold in the artichokes, olives and feta; season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In an ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken, skinned side down, and cook over moderately high heat until browned, 3 minutes; turn and transfer the chicken in the skillet to the oven. Roast the chicken for 10 minutes until white throughout. Transfer the chicken to plates and spoon the sauce on top. Garnish with the parsley and serve.